Political, economic elites perpetuating ‘fear of the immigrant’

The latest spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa has understandably caused outrage all over the continent. This time around, action has accompanied the anger with Nigeria firstly recalling its Ambassador and this week making arrangement to repatriate up to 700 of its citizens. What is now most disturbing however is that the looting, arson and killings have expanded beyond Gauteng Province with two killed in Cape Town last weekend.

Of course, this is not the first time that fellow Africans have become the victims of hate crimes in post-apartheid South Africa. Yet, the intensity and the destruction involved together with the feeble police response would indicate that this is not random anger or common criminality. Instead, it looks like a culture of xenophobia that has taken root. Despite sympathy expressed by Cyril Ramaphosa, there is no concerted effort to deal with attacks on fellow Africans who stood by their brothers and offered refuge and support during the Apartheid era.